Vitality Chicago Inc.

Download Our Free Agile and Scrum Cheat Sheet

Back in June 2017, we released the first version of our Agile and Scrum Tip Sheet as a free download. Since then, we’ve updated it a few times and have… Continue reading Download Our Free Agile and Scrum Cheat Sheet

What is the Optimal Team Size for Agile & Scrum Teams?

BLUF: Agile and Scrum Teams with 5-6 team members are best for high performance. The Scrum Guide includes a recommended Scrum team size of between 3 and 9 members. And… Continue reading What is the Optimal Team Size for Agile & Scrum Teams?

The 5 Best Agile Books for 2023

In 2021, I first published my list of the best agile books, organized by role. I am delighted that it has become one of the most popular posts on the… Continue reading The 5 Best Agile Books for 2023

Should We Fire All the Agile Coaches?

It sounds like a strange question to ask – Should we fire all the Agile Coaches? This year it has not seemed so strange a question. Capital One announced in… Continue reading Should We Fire All the Agile Coaches?

Which PMI Agile Certification Should I Get in 2023?

Which Project Management Institute (PMI) Agile Certification should you get in 2023? Should you get the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification, or one of the newer Disciplined Agile Certifications?… Continue reading Which PMI Agile Certification Should I Get in 2023?

How Do You Motivate Agile Teams to Become High-Performing Teams?

Most people have no idea how to motivate agile teams or create high performing teams. And even if you tell them, they don’t seem to remember or care. I’ve had… Continue reading How Do You Motivate Agile Teams to Become High-Performing Teams?

7 Key Lessons for Agile Leaders from McChrystal’s Team of Teams Book

I am always on the lookout for great books. Recently a fellow Agile Coach recommended General Stanley McChrystal’s Team of Teams book to me. Wow, I was really blown away… Continue reading 7 Key Lessons for Agile Leaders from McChrystal’s Team of Teams Book

Creating Reality-Based Forecasts in Agile Projects

Agile approaches for estimating and forecasting are better than traditional approaches because they deliver better and more predictable results. Agile project forecasts are also easy to understand and easy to… Continue reading Creating Reality-Based Forecasts in Agile Projects

[2023 Update] A Quick Guide to the Best Entry-Level Agile Certification

Are you bewildered by the number of Agile and Scrum certifications and Agile Training courses offered today? Do you wonder what would be the best Agile certification or Scrum training… Continue reading [2023 Update] A Quick Guide to the Best Entry-Level Agile Certification

How to Use Agile with a Consulting Team

I had two different students ask me a very similar question – how do you apply agile in a consulting environment? Here is the specific request from one of them. My… Continue reading How to Use Agile with a Consulting Team

Are Dedicated Teams Required for Agile or Scrum?

Are dedicated teams required for Agile or Scrum? This is not a trick question – it is actually a genuine question that I posed in a LinkedIn Poll some time… Continue reading Are Dedicated Teams Required for Agile or Scrum?

My Scrum Certifications from SCRUMstudy

So I’ve been working on this challenge to get one new agile and Scrum certification per week in 2020, 52 total. In doing so, I’ve been somewhat opportunistic in combining… Continue reading My Scrum Certifications from SCRUMstudy

You Should Stop Doing Daily Scrum Meetings

I recently wrote about how to improve your Daily Scrum meeting. Now I think that we should just cancel the Daily Scrum altogether. To be fair, some people are using… Continue reading You Should Stop Doing Daily Scrum Meetings

My Favorite Agile Illustrations from Henrik Kniberg of Spotify Fame

Most people in the Agile community are familiar with Spotify and have read articles or watched videos about agility at Spotify. Some have even mistakenly mimicked the language used at… Continue reading My Favorite Agile Illustrations from Henrik Kniberg of Spotify Fame

Why I Recommend You Take a Month Off Work

I recently took off a full six weeks of vacation in one fell swoop. And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I don’t know if you’ve… Continue reading Why I Recommend You Take a Month Off Work

What is Agile and Why is it Important?

Do you wonder what is meant by agile? The label is being attached to everything – agile methodology, agile sales, agile marketing, agile testing, agile you-name-it. But what does agile… Continue reading What is Agile and Why is it Important?

5 Tips to Improve Product Backlog Refinement

Product Backlog Refinement (PBR) is an activity that many new agile teams struggle with and don’t allocate enough time to complete. Refinement requires an investment of time in the current… Continue reading 5 Tips to Improve Product Backlog Refinement

Why I did NOT Renew My PMI, Agile & Scrum Certifications (2023)

A few years ago, I made a decision to stop renewing my professional certifications that expired. It was difficult to let go and see those hard-earned certifications expire, particularly those… Continue reading Why I did NOT Renew My PMI, Agile & Scrum Certifications (2023)

What is the role of a Tester in Scrum? Is Agile Tester a thing?

Many people are curious about the tester’s role in a Scrum Team. Do Agile and Scrum have an agile tester role? Is the tester a full-fledged member of an agile… Continue reading What is the role of a Tester in Scrum? Is Agile Tester a thing?

What are the Most Important Agile Coach Traits?

What are the top Agile Coach traits that great coaches should have? Today there are more and more individuals hanging out a shingle and calling themselves Agile Coaches. With good… Continue reading What are the Most Important Agile Coach Traits?

Enough Already, There is No “Value” in Earned Value Management

My colleague Bill Baxter informed me that PMI had just released the Earned Value Management (EVM) guide in December 2019 and that I should take a look. My first thought… Continue reading Enough Already, There is No “Value” in Earned Value Management

Agile Terminology Cheat Sheet

For several years now I’ve been including a glossary of Agile Terms as a handout in my classes. I decided this year to invest in updating the list to make… Continue reading Agile Terminology Cheat Sheet

Project Managers Fail to Help Software Projects (Standish Group Chaos)

WARNING: If you are a project manager, you may find this post disconcerting. In my related post about the most recent Standish Group 2020 Chaos Report, Beyond Infinity, I described… Continue reading Project Managers Fail to Help Software Projects (Standish Group Chaos)

Unlearning Agile is as Important as Learning

Declutter your mind, clear your brain to regain focus improve creative thinking ability, free up memory concept, ambitious businessman declutter, clean and clear all messy anxiety from his big head.

What do you know about Agile that you need to unlearn? Unlearning is a concept I first read about in Erich Buhler’s book, Enterprise Agility Fundamentals. The term unlearning caught… Continue reading Unlearning Agile is as Important as Learning

Build and Maintain High Morale and Esprit de Corps

I recently taught a project management workshop and I included something that I learned over 30 years ago when I first started my career as a program manager. It was… Continue reading Build and Maintain High Morale and Esprit de Corps

The Most Popular Agile Frameworks Today

A few years ago I wrote about the popular agile scaling frameworks. In Beyond SAFe, Trends in Agile Scaling, I drew upon the following sources of information: 2017 Status Quo Agile… Continue reading The Most Popular Agile Frameworks Today

Scrum Teams Today are Nothing Like Rugby Teams

Scrum Teams in 2023 are nothing like the Rugby teams that inspired the creation of the Scrum Framework. Rather than having a rugby-style team working together with a single team… Continue reading Scrum Teams Today are Nothing Like Rugby Teams

Does Failing Fast Really Mean to Fail?

A few years ago I wrote about the danger of too much work in process under the guise of failing fast. The post was meant to highlight the danger of… Continue reading Does Failing Fast Really Mean to Fail?

Should You Use Agile For Fixed Delivery Projects?

I had a potential client reach out to me recently about using agile with a fixed delivery project. By fixed delivery, I mean that they had a fixed price, fixed… Continue reading Should You Use Agile For Fixed Delivery Projects?

Deliver Frequently…With a Preference to the Shorter Timescale

Agile enthusiasts will likely recognize the title of this blog as a paraphrase of one of the 12 Principles behind the Agile Manifesto. The entire principle reads: Deliver working software… Continue reading Deliver Frequently…With a Preference to the Shorter Timescale

The Scrum Master Role is Evolving

Last month I wrote about the term for Scrum Master and how it should be changed. That sparked a number of other conversations, including one with my colleague and agile… Continue reading The Scrum Master Role is Evolving

I Was Just Kidding

If you have to say that you were “just kidding”, you probably already failed. Just kidding is the afterthought or disclaimer we add to statements that reflect how we really… Continue reading I Was Just Kidding

Scrum Master is a Bad Name for this Role

Last month I wrote a blog arguing that the popular Scrum terms should be changed for everyone’s benefit. I got a lot of great feedback and it helped my own… Continue reading Scrum Master is a Bad Name for this Role

Agile Thought Leaders Create, They Don’t Copy-Paste

<rant> With the introduction of ChatGPT and other AI tools, the ability to generate content is open to everyone. Is that a good thing, or does it simply encourage more… Continue reading Agile Thought Leaders Create, They Don’t Copy-Paste

PMI Is Quietly Killing Disciplined Agile

I haven’t written about Disciplined Agile in a while. And for good reason – there really isn’t much to write about. In fact, things are so quiet that I am… Continue reading PMI Is Quietly Killing Disciplined Agile

The Scrum Terms Need to Change

How did we end up in 2023 with a set of standard terms for agile ways of working that don’t really make any sense? I’m talking about the language introduced… Continue reading The Scrum Terms Need to Change

Beyond the Hype – Where are the Benefits of Agile?

Book cover

I was puzzled by the recent announcements of layoffs of the agile delivery teams at Capital One. Capital One was one of the first large banks to fully embrace agile… Continue reading Beyond the Hype – Where are the Benefits of Agile?

Case Study of Agile Adoption at ASCP

We started supporting the Information and Technology Team at the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) in early 2022. During that time, the team made significant strides in improving their… Continue reading Case Study of Agile Adoption at ASCP

10 Tips for Reducing Wasteful Meetings

I recently saw this post below on twitter about the real-time tracking the cost of meetings. It wasn’t real, but it got me thinking about the cost of meetings, how… Continue reading 10 Tips for Reducing Wasteful Meetings

Can You Have an Agile Transformation Without Changing Your Organization?

One of my long-time clients recently informed me that they were undertaking an agile transformation. Which is good. It would have been great if they included me in that transformation.… Continue reading Can You Have an Agile Transformation Without Changing Your Organization?

Using Agility Assessments to help Teams Continuously Improve

Practicing agile ways of working is all about constantly learning to improve and adapting what works best in a given environment. Agile teams can use tools like the Comparative Agility… Continue reading Using Agility Assessments to help Teams Continuously Improve

Can Agile Coaches Change an Organization’s Culture?

Wells Fargo was in the news again this week, and not in a positive way. They were fined a whopping $3.7B for the mistreatment of their own customers and investors.… Continue reading Can Agile Coaches Change an Organization’s Culture?

What are the Top 10 Disadvantages of Agile?

What are the disadvantages of agile and Scrum? I’ve been asked this question a few times over the last few years and frankly, I’ve not had a good response. Those… Continue reading What are the Top 10 Disadvantages of Agile?

77% of High-Performing Teams Use Project Management Software

Did you know that 77% of High-performing Teams Use Project Management Software? I didn’t either. But if you Google it you will find that it is correct. Or is it?… Continue reading 77% of High-Performing Teams Use Project Management Software

Should We Hire an Agile Trainer or Just Read the Scrum Guide?

I taught an Agile Training course recently and felt I did a pretty good job. When I reviewed the participant feedback, not everyone agreed. The feedback was mostly positive, though… Continue reading Should We Hire an Agile Trainer or Just Read the Scrum Guide?

How New Teams Can Get Started Using the Disciplined Agile Toolkit

In my previous article, we explored how to help your team succeed faster using Disciplined Agile. In this blog post, I would like to walk you through how a new… Continue reading How New Teams Can Get Started Using the Disciplined Agile Toolkit

10 Ways to Help Your Agile Initiative Succeed

BLUF: This post outlines 10 Ways You Can Help Your Agile Initiative Succeed whether that is adopting Kanban or Scrum or taking on an enterprise agile transformation. I recently wrote… Continue reading 10 Ways to Help Your Agile Initiative Succeed

Use the Disciplined Agile Tool Kit to Help Your Agile Team Succeed Sooner

Q: How can we use the Disciplined Agile Tool Kit to help our agile team succeed sooner? To answer this question easily, I could simply tell you to take a… Continue reading Use the Disciplined Agile Tool Kit to Help Your Agile Team Succeed Sooner

Use Your Good Judgment in All Situations

Don’t Slam the Students Slammed by the Hurricane I teach several classes at Northwestern and yesterday I received an email from the University Administration regarding Hurricane Ian. The email encouraged… Continue reading Use Your Good Judgment in All Situations

Most Agile Transformations Will Fail

The sad reality is that though well-intentioned, most agile transformations fail. By fail I mean they are canceled, reversed or fall short of delivering the desired results. To be clear,… Continue reading Most Agile Transformations Will Fail

Estimates or #NoEstimates That is the Question

The concept of #NoEstimates has been around for nearly 10 years. This post explores some of the aspects of the #NoEstimates movement and its current status. I introduced the concept… Continue reading Estimates or #NoEstimates That is the Question

Exploit vs. Explore – When to Choose Agile over Traditional Approaches

Agile ways of working have become extremely popular since 2001 when the Manifesto for Agile Software Development was published. But does agile work in all contexts? Would traditional project management… Continue reading Exploit vs. Explore – When to Choose Agile over Traditional Approaches

Best Agile Podcasts for 2023

Podcasts are a great way to learn and stay on top of topics of interest. They provide a wealth of free information that makes continuous learning a snap. This post… Continue reading Best Agile Podcasts for 2023

Employers are Tracking Remote Workers

Summary: A growing number of employers are using productivity tracking software to monitor the activity of employees. This tracking of remote workers is invasive and demeaning. Employees risk being embarrassed… Continue reading Employers are Tracking Remote Workers

Where is the WoW Now? An update on the PMI Disciplined Agile Certifications

Summary: The PMI Disciplined Agile certifications continue to grow in popularity, albeit slowly. The PMI-ACP is more popular than the Disciplined Agile certifications though the % growth rate is lower. And… Continue reading Where is the WoW Now? An update on the PMI Disciplined Agile Certifications

Let’s Face It – Coaching Remote Teams Sucks

Summary: The pandemic has caused a permanent shift in ways of working. For most agile teams, that means that some or all of the members are working remotely. As a… Continue reading Let’s Face It – Coaching Remote Teams Sucks

Companies Can’t Argue Against Remote Work

Summary: This post focuses on the logic of employers requiring employees to be in the office in instances where the employee doesn’t work with any people in that office. The… Continue reading Companies Can’t Argue Against Remote Work

The 6 Enablers of Business Agility – Karim Harbott’s Book

I first stumbled across Karim Harbott in a 2020 YouTube Video that he created called The 6 Enablers of Business Agility. By itself, the video wasn’t revolutionary. I appreciated how… Continue reading The 6 Enablers of Business Agility – Karim Harbott’s Book

Is Remote Work Here to Stay or On the Way Out?

Remote work is often viewed as antithetical to agile ways of working. After all, one of the 12 Principles behind the Agile Manifesto mentions explicitly face-to-face communication as the most effective… Continue reading Is Remote Work Here to Stay or On the Way Out?

Mitch Smith – Product Engineering Manager: Design System Platform

“The integration of real-world examples and exercises is really the bread and butter of why I think this course is great. Combined with relevant further readings and frameworks for each… Continue reading Mitch Smith – Product Engineering Manager: Design System Platform

Gabriela Alfaro – Marketing Manager, Strategy & Ops

“I liked the way Jonathan teach the class with the Participant Handouts material. Very organize and good timing.” Gabriela Alfaro – Marketing Manager, Strategy & Ops

Jason Romero – Program Manager

“Jonathan was great. Good energy. Great timing with the flow. Very knowledgeable.” Jason Romero – Program Manager

Dan Zilai – PMI Calumet Chapter President

“The DASM was a fantastic virtual course with the presentations being easy to follow, easy to digest and very relevant inter-active and engaging learning exercises. This course ROCKS! I am… Continue reading Dan Zilai – PMI Calumet Chapter President

Dan Zilai – PMI Calumet Chapter President

“Vitality Chicago offers superior facilitated training and Adds Value from experienced, knowledgeable instructors that relate their industry experience to their students on how it can benefit their organization as well… Continue reading Dan Zilai – PMI Calumet Chapter President

Carter Cates – Program & Solution Delivery

“Terrific content – highly structured, systematic, well-organized, with many artifacts that will be useful in practice.” Carter Cates – Program & Solution Delivery

Traci Ragas – Senior Project Manager

“Jonathan is extremely attentive to everyone in the course, and makes sure information is digestible, relevant, and helpful. The different perspectives from people in the course were helpful. I enjoyed… Continue reading Traci Ragas – Senior Project Manager

Kaali Dass – Sr. Technical Program Manager

“Great course a lot of interactive sessions. Jonathan Lee is a great Instructor.” Kaali Dass – Sr. Technical Program Manager

Gary Geraci – IT Project Manager

“Material presented was all-encompassing about Scrums. Gary has a very engaging approach and wealth of knowledge that he shares.” Gary Geraci – IT Project Manager

Meredith Palomino – Program Project Manager

“I really like how Gary took the time to answer questions we have about our real work issues. He gave really good recommendations that I am planning to implement on… Continue reading Meredith Palomino – Program Project Manager

Michael DuCharme – Business Technology Analyst

“Besides the Scrum materials and understanding of the theories behind it, I found the way the instructor taught the course to be most useful as Gary approached it as a… Continue reading Michael DuCharme – Business Technology Analyst

Troy McGary – Sr. Programmer Analyst

“Gary is very good at explaining the concepts of scrum, and addressing questions grounded in real-world experience.” Troy McGary – Sr. Programmer Analyst

Blythe Veltman – Product Portfolio Manager, Global Technology Strategy & Planning

“Real-life examples provided (applied theory to practice), answered questions around McD current issues with potential ways to course correct; found the team formation/exercises to discuss/learn very beneficial.” Blythe Veltman –… Continue reading Blythe Veltman – Product Portfolio Manager, Global Technology Strategy & Planning

Scott Badskey – Director of Global PMO Portfolio and Process Management

“Good material, well organized, good use of online tool to support virtual learning, great instructor.” Scott Badskey – Director of Global PMO Portfolio and Process Management

Tom Patterson – Director Of Engineering

“Gary was highly knowledgeable and went into a ton of depth when answering questions, which was super valuable. Some of the materials were very helpful for increasing my understanding and… Continue reading Tom Patterson – Director Of Engineering

Gary Geraci – Capgemini IT Project Manager

“Gary P.’s knowledge is fantastic. Tons of content was presented. Great pacing and sharing of real-world examples.” Gary Geraci – IT Project Manager

Carla Keys – Product Owner

“Jonathan is a professional and very knowledgeable. Due to his background, he was able to shed a lot of insight as to why methods are used and how it plays… Continue reading Carla Keys – Product Owner

Andy Johnston – Sr. Project Administrator II

“Gary was an excellent instructor. He was very methodical in explaining all the components of the course. The break-out sessions were very helpful.” Andy Johnston – Sr. Project Administrator II

Kari Grinya – Manager, Claims Operations and Analysis

“I enjoyed the interactive nature of the course along with the videos that really drove home concepts and methodologies for implementing Agile as leaders.” Kari Grinya – Manager, Claims Operations… Continue reading Kari Grinya – Manager, Claims Operations and Analysis

Adriana Sebek – Customer & Quality Manager

“I find Anthony’s trainings to be very engaging and insightful.” Adriana Sebek – Customer & Quality Manager

Lianne Bosko – Property Technical Underwriter

“The course was very useful for me to understand what Agile is SUPPOSED to be…as the project that I’m in is only utilizing about half of the functionality. Which explains… Continue reading Lianne Bosko – Property Technical Underwriter

Andrew Barban – Agile Coach

“This is a no fluff course and is full of real-world examples and explained from someone who has been there and done that.” Andrew Barban – Agile Coach

Scott Badskey – Director, Global PMO Portfolio and Process Management

“Very good overview of DASSM; Jonathan did a great job facilitating the course.” Scott Badskey – Director of Global PMO Portfolio and Process Management

Susan Leszczewicz, PMP – Senior Project Manager

“Jonathan Lee has the expertise and practical know-how to relay what made sense, preparing us well to understand the concept and take the DA certification exam which I passed on… Continue reading Susan Leszczewicz, PMP – Senior Project Manager

Lakecia Whimper – Technology Project Manager

“The Agile for Practitioners Training was helpful in providing a good foundation. I love the hands-on experience through the various exercises. I recommended this course for giving me a practical… Continue reading Lakecia Whimper – Technology Project Manager

Shawn McNamara – Executive Technology Leader and Liason

“I attended Agile for Leaders presented by Anthony Mersino. He has an expert command of the Agile frameworks and he showed coaching techniques and Agile transformation tools and processes.” Shawn… Continue reading Shawn McNamara – Executive Technology Leader and Liason

Christine Castillo – Program Manager

“Anthony is an amazing instructor. He’s extremely passionate about Agile, knowledgeable, engaging, and connects with students in a way that facilitates a wonderful learning experience.” Christine Castillo – Program Manager

Bridget Baxter – Senior Manager of Dental Society Outreach and Client Services

“Great job at providing good content & keeping it fun.” Bridget Baxter – Senior Manager of Dental Society Outreach and Client Services

Sheetal Parikh – Senior Director of Compliance

“The Agile for Leaders training course was very informative and exciting.” Sheetal Parikh – Senior Director of Compliance

Bill Russell – Business Analyst

“I found the discussion of Agile mindset and benefits the most useful.” Bill Russell – Business Analyst

Felix Krupczynski – Global Operations and Technology Executive

“Very good course to understand the important agile concepts and principles for leaders.” Felix Krupczynski – Global Operations and Technology Executive

Sunil Chainani – Program Manager | IT PMO

“Jonathan Lee’s well-structured training, and post-class guidance was instrumental in helping me achieve the DASM certification. Do not be surprised if you become a disciplined agile champion, after interacting with… Continue reading Sunil Chainani – Program Manager | IT PMO

Catherine Kolecki – VP of Professional Development

“Jonathan Lee taught the DASM concepts using a true practical application approach that one can understand and apply. I was able to apply the skills immediately… and taking this course… Continue reading Catherine Kolecki – VP of Professional Development

Cynthia Davis – Director of Certifications

“All the info was presented in a manageable, clear, and life/work applicable manner. The instructor went beyond expectation. Additional support material and session was held to ensure we understood the… Continue reading Cynthia Davis – Director of Certifications

Susmita Sharma – Senior Consultant

“Jonathan, you are not just a terrific and precise DA Instructor & Coach but also an inspiring person. Glad that I registered for the training and took it otherwise I… Continue reading Susmita Sharma – Senior Consultant

Phil Smeltz – Senior Consultant

“Jonathan delivered the DASSM material well and made the three half days enjoyable. I’d recommend this course to anyone who leads a team or plans to in the future –… Continue reading Phil Smeltz – Senior Consultant

Mike Moser – VP and Global Project Implementation Manager

“I recommend the PSM training. Gary helped us understand both the how and the why.” Mike Moser – VP and Global Project Implementation Manager

Daniel Peikes – Business Analyst

“I highly recommend Gary. He had us rethinking the way we think.” Daniel Peikes – Business Analyst

Brian Alvarez – Project Manager

“The course was not just slide reading but included real-life scenarios.” Brian Alvarez – Project Manager

Bill Russell – Manager, Global Menu Strategy

“I loved learning about the cycle, steps, and best practices associated with being a scrum master. Very nice job Gary! Enjoyed this training.” Bill Russell – Manager, Global Menu Strategy

Marshall Browning – Product Manager

“I recommend the Scrum Product Owner Training course; it gave me a great foundation to manage a product within the Scrum framework. This course helped me to determine that being… Continue reading Marshall Browning – Product Manager

Brian Kinney – IRAS Index Operations Officer

“Gary was exceptional! He did a great job keeping all of us engaged while conveying all the relevant information.” Brian Kinney – IRAS Index Operations Officer

Kathy Slowinski – Product Senior Vice President

“Good real-life examples” Kathy Slowinski – Product Senior Vice President

Tomas Jacobi – Program Manager

“I’ve used Vitality Chicago to train our team and found that the Professional Scrum Foundations Training course was a great foundation for everyone to really get a sense of what… Continue reading Tomas Jacobi – Program Manager

Loretta Reed – Project Manager

“I liked the collaborative exercises, especially the scrum simulation.” Loretta Reed – Project Manager

Lakecia Whimper – Senior Technology Project Manager

“I love the hands-on experience through the various exercises. I would recommend this course considering that I have not been trained in Project Management or Agile but recently promoted to… Continue reading Lakecia Whimper – Senior Technology Project Manager

Jennifer de Visser – Director of Program Management

“The combination of hands-on exercises and activities with the breadth of Anthony’s experience made this course incredibly useful.” Jennifer de Visser – Director of Program Management

Max Schoen – Admissions Advisor

“This course is great for anyone who wants to learn modern leadership ideas and practices to more effectively lead and coach teams.” Max Schoen – Admissions Advisor

Paul Kuemmel – Director of Product Management

“I recommend the Leading and Coaching Agile Teams course. Anthony is a great instructor with real-world examples.” Paul Kuemmel – Director of Product Management

Brad Wolf – Senior Business Analyst

“I recommend journeying with Anthony through the Supporting an Agile Transformation Training Course. Anthony draws upon his agile transformation experience, know-how, skills, and emotional intelligence. He elicits one resonating theme… Continue reading Brad Wolf – Senior Business Analyst

Brooke Smart – Senior Business and Systems Analyst

”I enjoyed Supporting an Agile Transformation. I found the creation of the transformation presentation in class very useful and plan to use it at my company. The class discussions were… Continue reading Brooke Smart – Senior Business and Systems Analyst

Carma Shurley – Safety Information Systems Group Manager

“Anthony is an excellent instructor and the curriculum is super understandable and useful. I also liked that it was specifically focused on our project.” Carma Shurley – Safety Information Systems… Continue reading Carma Shurley – Safety Information Systems Group Manager

Samuel Turner – Senior Managing Director

“I liked the overview of the DASM and now have a clear understanding of “Agile” and how DA is Agile done right.” Samuel Turner – Senior Managing Director

Ura Puranda – Portfolio Manager

“I was very impressed with Jonathan’s vast knowledge of DA, his approach to conducting the class, and the whole aspect, topics and format were just great. I would highly recommend… Continue reading Ura Puranda – Portfolio Manager

Rob Roque – Technology Services Manager

“Learning Disciplined Agile (DA) was one of the smartest moves I made in my project management career. …the most benefit I got was that I was able to apply the… Continue reading Rob Roque – Technology Services Manager

Alix Monty – Project Manager

“Jonathan was so knowledgeable. His pace was perfect and the collaborative exercises were very helpful.” Alix Monty – Project Manager

Mary Beth Loverdi – Senior Vice President, Client Digital Strategy & Product Management

“Anthony is the guru of Agile Training. His ability to understand team dynamics, organizational challenges and Sprint/Scrum/Agile principles are second to none! His training session are interactive, very engaging and… Continue reading Mary Beth Loverdi – Senior Vice President, Client Digital Strategy & Product Management

Srinivas Saineni – President, PMI Chicagoland Chapter

“Jonathan Lee is a world-class agile trainer. I found the Disciplined Agile training intellectually stimulating and fun at the same time. I highly recommend Jonathan Lee to any organization looking… Continue reading Srinivas Saineni – President, PMI Chicagoland Chapter

Jamie Birkner – Director of Content Strategy and Marketing

“I recommend the Agile and Scrum for Teams agile training course. It’s an effective introduction and gives you a great entry into what Agile can do for projects. I got… Continue reading Jamie Birkner – Director of Content Strategy and Marketing

Julie Cowan – Senior Designer, Northwestern University

“Anthony is a thoughtful agile trainer, engaging all of the students in the class with anecdotes from his real-world experience and deep understanding of Agile practices.” Julie Cowan – Senior… Continue reading Julie Cowan – Senior Designer, Northwestern University

Joel Pryor – Project Manager

“Jonathan Lee is an excellent agile trainer and coach. He was very clear, concise and easy to understand. His methods of teaching and explaining the material are well thought out… Continue reading Joel Pryor – Project Manager

Veronica Hancock – Director, Software Engineering

“I worked with Vitality Chicago for Agile Training and Coaching Support for my company’s transition to Scrum. The training classes were very highly rated by my colleagues, with the perfect… Continue reading Veronica Hancock – Director, Software Engineering

Mark Aguilera – Asset and Wealth Management Technology Leader

“We needed someone to help us properly use Agile and Scrum. Anthony provided Agile and Scrum Training and Agile Coaching for my four development teams. The training classes were great… Continue reading Mark Aguilera – Asset and Wealth Management Technology Leader

Dave Sohmer – SVP Technology and Operations

“Anthony trained and coached us at Bank of America and Northern Trust. Without his help we would not have gotten far. If you want your organization to become more agile,… Continue reading Dave Sohmer – SVP Technology and Operations

Seth Dowling – Vice President, Northern Trust

“Gary didn’t just jump in to theories but hit all of our day to day pain points with the Scrum Framework and principles.” Seth Dowling – Vice President, Northern Trust

Caesar Bernardo – Senior Technical Program Manager

“Jonathan was very engaging and provided really good content in a short amount of time. His delivery and mastery of Disciplined Agile was impressive!” Caesar Bernardo – Senior Technical Program… Continue reading Caesar Bernardo – Senior Technical Program Manager

Multitasking is Terrible – So Why Do We Do It?

Multitasking or doing multiple tasks at the same time is a terrible practice that lowers quality, extends schedules and it harms people. So why do we do it? Let’s take… Continue reading Multitasking is Terrible – So Why Do We Do It?

Agile on Trial, Or, How Not to Write an Agile Contract

I was recently asked to be an Expert Agile Witness in a legal battle centering around agile ways of working. I was pretty excited about it – I’d never been… Continue reading Agile on Trial, Or, How Not to Write an Agile Contract

The Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching Book

I have the pleasure of reviewing Bob Galen’s Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching book. Wow, I was not disappointed! Bob collaborated with many people to create this book. Foremost would be… Continue reading The Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching Book

Doing Agile Right – A Book Review

I try to do what I can to keep up with the new agile books being released so that I can maintain the popular blog, The 5 Best Agile Books… Continue reading Doing Agile Right – A Book Review

Boost Your Business Agility with these 10 Agile Practices

Agile ways have become mainstream for software and technology teams. What about those traditional teams and departments that aren’t building high-tech solutions? The ones that support customers, make the sales… Continue reading Boost Your Business Agility with these 10 Agile Practices

Team Leaders in an Agile Environment

Teams come in many shapes, sizes, and configurations. One team feature that is a fixture in nearly every corporate and governmental environment is the team lead. The role doesn’t have… Continue reading Team Leaders in an Agile Environment

Take a More Expansive View of What Product Backlog Refinement Can Be

There’s an opportunity I’ve seen with many Scrum teams I’ve worked with – the opportunity to take a wider, more expansive view during Product Backlog Refinement (PBR)[1]. The scenes are… Continue reading Take a More Expansive View of What Product Backlog Refinement Can Be

[2022 UPDATE] An Assessment of Modern Agile Assessment Tools

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about agile assessment tools. You know, those tools that can tell you whether you are moving toward business agility? It makes sense… Continue reading [2022 UPDATE] An Assessment of Modern Agile Assessment Tools

In Appreciation of the Agile Manifesto

This article was originally posted on the Agile Alliance website. 2021 marked the 20-year anniversary of the publication of the Agile Manifesto. Though I was not present at that now… Continue reading In Appreciation of the Agile Manifesto

10 Key Takeaways from the book, The Coaching Habit

In one of my Agile Training courses for leaders, a participant recommended the book The Coaching Habit; Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael… Continue reading 10 Key Takeaways from the book, The Coaching Habit

Only the Hits – Our Best Agile Blog Posts of 2021

Are you looking for some great agile articles? Look no further because here they are! Listed below are the 10 most popular articles on our website this past year. Of… Continue reading Only the Hits – Our Best Agile Blog Posts of 2021

A Review of the Fixing Your Scrum Book

I love books and most of the books I have today are on Agile, Scrum, or related topics like Lean, leadership or teamwork. For me, every book I read reminds… Continue reading A Review of the Fixing Your Scrum Book

Using Inception as an Agile Coaching Tool

Agile Coaching can be a challenging job, particularly when supporting managers in organizations. In fact, for new Scrum Masters or Agile Coaches, coaching managers may be the last place they… Continue reading Using Inception as an Agile Coaching Tool

Why Agile is Better than Waterfall (Based on Standish Group Chaos Report 2020)

When it comes to technology projects, Agile projects succeed where traditional projects fail. It’s really that simple. In fact, the most recent Standish Group Chaos Study from 2020 shows that… Continue reading Why Agile is Better than Waterfall (Based on Standish Group Chaos Report 2020)

Agile Methodology vs Framework vs. Toolkit – Does it Really Matter Eddie?

What is in a name? A lot apparently. If you want to stir people up, just call one of the popular agile approaches by the wrong label. Particularly offensive would… Continue reading Agile Methodology vs Framework vs. Toolkit – Does it Really Matter Eddie?

Want Better Agile? Just Turn Managers Into Coaches!

I was struck recently by an article from Forbes that said in order to create high-performing teams we need to turn managers into coaches. Earlier in my agile learning journey,… Continue reading Want Better Agile? Just Turn Managers Into Coaches!

Scrum Masters – Maybe You are the Problem

Scrum Masters are the champions of Scrum in the organization and they are accountable for establishing Scrum and helping everyone understand Scrum theory and process. They are also accountable for… Continue reading Scrum Masters – Maybe You are the Problem

Agile Approach in the Backyard – A Case Study in Big Bang Delivery

Several months ago I contracted with a company to install a fence in my backyard. It was primarily for privacy but it was also intended to keep all the critters… Continue reading Agile Approach in the Backyard – A Case Study in Big Bang Delivery

25 Tips to Boost Performance and Build a High Performing Team

Everyone is looking for a leg up right? How can we maximize team performance or wring just a little more horsepower out of our team? Good news – what follows… Continue reading 25 Tips to Boost Performance and Build a High Performing Team

My Favorite Scrum Event to Facilitate – Don’t Skip This One!

Patty Aluskewicz started a spirited discussion on LinkedIn with a poll, What is your favorite Scrum Event to facilitate and why? I really like the level of engagement it received –… Continue reading My Favorite Scrum Event to Facilitate – Don’t Skip This One!

Choosing Specialists vs. Generalists for Your Highly Performing Team

Everyone wants highly performing teams though many people act like they don’t know-how. The secret is diversity! To create a high-performing agile team, avoid the “specialist” in favor of the… Continue reading Choosing Specialists vs. Generalists for Your Highly Performing Team

MVP – Minimum Viable Product or Many Varied Perspectives?

One of the most powerful and misunderstood agility-related concepts is the Minimum Viable Product or MVP. Some people think of it as the least we have to do or as… Continue reading MVP – Minimum Viable Product or Many Varied Perspectives?

Get Your Disciplined Agile (DASM) Certification Without Hardly Trying

Yes, you read that correctly. You can get your Disciplined Agile Certification without hardly trying. This includes the Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) certification and the Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum… Continue reading Get Your Disciplined Agile (DASM) Certification Without Hardly Trying

What does the Best Agile Leader Training Include?

Lately, I’ve been asked to teach more and more agile leader training classes. My focus for the training has not changed much since I first started teaching these courses –… Continue reading What does the Best Agile Leader Training Include?

Post Pandemic Challenge – Most Agile Teams Will Be Partly Distributed

I recently had my first in-person client meeting after 17 months of remote working. Wow, it was almost like I didn’t know how to act. For some of us, getting… Continue reading Post Pandemic Challenge – Most Agile Teams Will Be Partly Distributed

An Inventory of Agile and Scrum Certifications

In early 2020, I wrote about the Circus of Agile Certifications and challenged myself to get a new Agile or Scrum Certification each week. There were so many possible Agile… Continue reading An Inventory of Agile and Scrum Certifications

The Single Biggest Mistake Organizations Make When Adopting Agile

I know what you are thinking, with so many ways that organizations can undermine their steps toward agility, how could you pick just one single biggest mistake? Well, I keep… Continue reading The Single Biggest Mistake Organizations Make When Adopting Agile

Stop Trying to Control People

I recently received an email from a colleague I’ve known for nearly 20 years. It started with this line: “You should be speaking here…” I flagged it as junk and… Continue reading Stop Trying to Control People

A Quick Tutorial for Improving Your Retrospectives

I spoke recently on the topic of retrospectives and continuous improvement. Readers of this blog may recall that I have written no less than 10 articles on this site on… Continue reading A Quick Tutorial for Improving Your Retrospectives

What Would an Agile Human Resources Department Do?

Human Resources may not be what comes to mind when you think Agile. In fact, Human Resources is often used as the butt of the joke in many companies. Scott… Continue reading What Would an Agile Human Resources Department Do?

What to Expect When You Take Disciplined Agile Training

At Vitality Chicago, we’ve been delivering Disciplined Agile Training since PMI released the training materials late last year. We first started teaching the Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) Course in… Continue reading What to Expect When You Take Disciplined Agile Training

Fresh Agile Voices – Episode 6 – Bob Galen

Bob Galen is a well-known name in the agile community and it was my pleasure to host him for the latest Fresh Agile Voices interview. One of the first things… Continue reading Fresh Agile Voices – Episode 6 – Bob Galen

What Does the Future Hold for Agile Coaches and Trainers?

I think most of us would agree that this last year has been decidedly weird and disruptive. As we mark a year since the start of the global pandemic, I… Continue reading What Does the Future Hold for Agile Coaches and Trainers?

Do You Need a Full Time Scrum Master for Scrum?

I recently posted a question on LinkedIn about how to staff the Scrum Master role in a small organization with few people. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of… Continue reading Do You Need a Full Time Scrum Master for Scrum?

Fail Faster by Starting More Things

Failing Fast is great right? I mean, everyone is doing it right? While I salute the approach of trying things that push the boundary or that may fail, I think… Continue reading Fail Faster by Starting More Things

Announcing Agile Project Management the 2nd Edition

I am thrilled to announce the second edition of Agile Project Management. This is a long-overdue update of the book I first published in 2015. And it is the best… Continue reading Announcing Agile Project Management the 2nd Edition

Fresh Agile Voices – Episode 5 – Jeff Singleton

Interview Transcript Anthony: So welcome everybody. I’m really excited today to be hosting Jeff Singleton. I know Jeff through the Agile community in Chicago and especially the Agile Professional… Continue reading Fresh Agile Voices – Episode 5 – Jeff Singleton

2021 Update on PMI Disciplined Agile Certifications

If you have been following this blog you know that I’ve been keeping an eye on the Project Management Institute (PMI) and what they are doing in the agile space.… Continue reading 2021 Update on PMI Disciplined Agile Certifications

What is Agile Leadership? (part 1)

This may sound like an easy question, but what is Agile Leadership? I’ve written all about Agile Leaders for example in The Agile Leaders Role in Transformation and How Leaders… Continue reading What is Agile Leadership? (part 1)

Why Journaling is Key for Agile Coaches

I started the year off with a new practice. Or should I say, an old practice rejuvenated. And that practice is journaling. Journaling is a great technique for agile coaches.… Continue reading Why Journaling is Key for Agile Coaches

How Managers Can Maximize Team Productivity

Managers and leaders in organizations are often looking for ways to be more effective or to maximize the productivity of their team. Here is an anti-pattern that I have seen… Continue reading How Managers Can Maximize Team Productivity

Fresh Agile Voices – Episode 4 – Agile Coach Charlotte Tan

We launched our Fresh Agile Voices segment in October 2020. Fresh Agile Voices features brief interviews of agile coaches that include people of color, women, and others who are experts… Continue reading Fresh Agile Voices – Episode 4 – Agile Coach Charlotte Tan

I’ve been writing about Disciplined Agile (DA) since PMI bought them in 2019, including my recent post about the confusion around PMI Agile Certifications. It turns out that my earlier… Continue reading Are You Interested in Disciplined Agile Adoption?

Very few organizations have truly empowered individuals working on self-organizing teams, even those that claim to be agile. Is this possible? Can you be agile without empowerment and self-organization? I… Continue reading Can You Be Agile Without Empowered & Self-Organizing Teams?

Where is PMI heading with Disciplined Agile? An Interview with Jonathan Lee

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with my colleague Jonathan Lee for a virtual interview on PMI and Disciplined Agile. Over the last 8 months, Jonathan has taken… Continue reading Where is PMI heading with Disciplined Agile? An Interview with Jonathan Lee

CIO Tips for Building an Effective Coalition for Transformation

Most organizations today are undergoing some sort of “transformation” and it is likely not their first. Whether it is an agile, digital, lean or financial transformation, organizations are trying to… Continue reading CIO Tips for Building an Effective Coalition for Transformation

Fight, Flight or Freeze – How Technology Leaders are Showing Up Now

I know, I am breaking my own “no negative vibes” rule with this post related to the pandemic. But I thought it would be interesting to talk about how various… Continue reading Fight, Flight or Freeze – How Technology Leaders are Showing Up Now

Are Your Remote Teams Productive? Use These 3 Key Metrics To Find Out

As a leader, do you find yourself wondering just how productive your newly remote teams are? Now that offices are empty and everyone is meeting by Zoom, feeling nervous about… Continue reading Are Your Remote Teams Productive? Use These 3 Key Metrics To Find Out

Staying focused, productive and retaining your competitive edge can be difficult in stressful times. We may find ourselves bombarded by negative messages and anxiety-provoking news. We may bounce from task… Continue reading Focus! How to Stay Productive in Uncertain Times

5 Tips for Dealing with More Work Than People

Many or all organizations today are struggling with more work than they have people to get the job done. Whether due to competitive pressures or increased customer demands, it seems… Continue reading 5 Tips for Dealing with More Work Than People

How I Achieved My Disciplined Agile Certifications

As part of my 2020 Agile Certifications Challenge, I wanted to learn about and get certified in Disciplined Agile (DA) the decision toolkit that was recently purchased by the Project… Continue reading How I Achieved My Disciplined Agile Certifications

Agile Certification Challenge 2020

Bewildered by the circus of over 250 Agile and Scrum Certifications on the market today? Wondering which certifications hold the most value? Me too! In January 2020 I announced my… Continue reading Agile Certification Challenge 2020

Hire Better – A Scrum Master Hiring Guide!

As agile approaches continue to spread in organizations, the demand for great Scrum Masters is expected to increase and outstrip what is available in the market. What steps can organizations… Continue reading Hire Better – A Scrum Master Hiring Guide!

One thing that is critical for a successful Agile Transformation is training at all levels, especially agile leader training. Unfortunately, many leaders don’t believe they need training, even though I… Continue reading CAL vs. PAL – Which Agile Leader Training Should You Take?